September 21st in African American History – Artis Gilmore

September 21, 1949 Artis Gilmore, hall of fame basketball player, was born in Chipley, Florida but raised in Dothan, Alabama.

Gilmore played two years at Jacksonville University and led the team to the 1970 NCAA Division I championship game. He led the NCAA in rebounding both years and his career average of 22.7 rebounds per game is the highest in NCAA Division I history.

Gilmore was selected by the Kentucky Colonels in the 1971 American Basketball Association Draft. In his first year, he won both the Rookie of the Year Award and the Most Valuable Player Award. After the ABA dissolved in 1976, Gilmore was selected by the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association.

Over his 19 season professional career, he was an 11-time All-Star and still holds the NBA record for career field goal percentage. Gilmore was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011. Since 2007, he has served as special assistant to the president of Jacksonville University.

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